January 28, 2021 - News & Notes
From The Desk Of Principal Kerr
Happy Catholic Schools Week! We are so excited for next week’s celebration of our excellent school. Students will be leading the Masses this weekend, and Saturday's Mass will be live streamed via YouTube. You can find a link to the Mass on the church website if you are not able to attend in person. If you are comfortable attending Mass in person, please wear your St. Michael gear to show school spirit! Students dressed in school uniform can pick up an out-of-uniform pass in the Narthex after Mass.

Our teachers have planned many fun (and COVID safe) activities for the kids, so even though it may not look just like Catholic Schools Weeks of the past, we will make it special. Our Robotics team has their first qualifying event this weekend; our 7th and 8th grade basketball teams will host home games on Monday and Tuesday; we have theme dress up days; a sledding party; a run through the halls pepfest; and even a trip to a movie theater for the middle school--movie theaters, remember those? We’ll be having a great time, and the teachers will need some Advil and rest next weekend! 

We have been revving up for the Gala, getting portions of our virtual event on video, photographing the fabulous silent auction items, and sharing warm and fuzzy stories of appreciation for this generous community. Many thanks to Brandi McColm, Brittany Seaburg, Chris Chappuis, Jaime Weese, Trisha Von Feldt, Jill Fonseca, Barb Kattar, Mary Kay Yaklin, and Kathryn Webb for making the gala magic happen virtually this year! Get your tickets and join the fun!

With Easter break approaching, we understand that families are considering travel. Currently out of state travel is still highly discouraged by both the MDH and the CDC. At St. Michael we have asked families to quarantine if they travel across state lines as recommended by the MDH. We are looking ahead and considering whether we will drop that requirement for Easter break. We are considering different options and will get word out to SMCS families by Monday. Here are the current MDH guidelines:

  • People who visit Minnesota, and Minnesotans returning after traveling out of state, are asked to stay away from others (quarantine) for 14 days after they arrive in Minnesota. During those 14 days, it is important that you stay home and watch for symptoms. If you must go out, wear a mask, stay 6 feet from other people, and wash your hands often.
  • Staying away from others for 14 days is safest. In some circumstances, a shortened quarantine period may be possible. For more information, see Close Contacts and Tracing and Quarantine Guidance for COVID-19 (PDF).
  • If you are close to someone with COVID-19 during travel, follow guidelines for how long to keep away from others (quarantine).
  • For information on testing, visit Getting Tested for COVID-19.

For international travel, follow federal guidelines. The CDC now requires all air passengers arriving to the U.S. from another country to get tested for COVID-19 no more than three days before their flight departs. Travelers will need to provide proof of the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight.

God bless your families this Catholic Schools Week kick-off weekend, and go Gophers, go Blues!


Mrs. Kerr
REMINDER - NO SCHOOL FRIDAY, JANUARY 29
Thursday, January 28th is the final day of Quarter 2. There is no school on Friday, January 29th.
Decision Tree Updates
We have received a new decision tree from the MDH which requires us to change our protocols for quarantining when a member of a household tests positive for COVID-19. The new guidelines were put in place because of confusion about quarantine vs. isolation.

Quarantining is staying home and away from others because you may have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus. Isolating is completely avoiding close contact with others because you have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The new decision tree is attached, but basically it deals with these scenarios for close contact with COVID-19:

Were you exposed to COVID because you live with someone who has COVID? 
Yes: Quarantine for 14 days (with COVID positive individual isolating)

If you were exposed outside your household ask:
Will you test after 5 days?
If yes, return with negative result and no symptoms on day 8.
If no, return after 10 days if no symptoms develop.
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
January 30 - February 6, 2021
Check out the schedule of fun CSW activities and dress up days!
We will be kicking off Catholic Schools Week at all of the Masses this weekend,
January 30th and 31st.

All students should wear their school uniform to Mass. Teachers will be prepared to hand them an out-of-uniform pass in the Narthex after Mass.

We are looking forward to celebrating the rich traditions and the incredible value of Catholic education with all of you!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to cover lunch and recess duty for teachers! - February 4, 2021
We are looking for volunteers to cover lunch and recess duty for teachers on Thursday, February 4.

Lunch Duty
As a volunteer, you will be in the multipurpose room to help kids with napkins, open milk/food containers and ensure kids are following rules and staying seated.
10:40-11:40 (2 parent volunteers)
11:40-12:40 (2 parent volunteers)

Recess Duty
As a volunteer, you will be at the playground watching kids play ensuring safety, sharing and appropriate behavior.
11:10-12:10 (3 parent volunteers)
12:10-1:10 (3 parent volunteers)

Please see the link below to sign up! We appreciate your help!
FREE Tutoring Service!
There is a free tutoring service for children in grades K to 6 provided by students at Cretin Derham Hall High School in St. Paul. In these very challenging and uncertain times some families may be in need of extra support. They offer free virtual homework help sessions through Zoom, tailored to each kids needs, in all subjects.

Please use this link to view the website for more information: https://www.homeworkaid.org/
Wednesday Early Release Days

Wednesday Early Dismissal Care & Homework Time - March 2021

Please let us know if your child(ren) will need Wednesday Early Dismissal Care (12:15 - 2:15) in March by completing this form as soon as possible, and no later than Friday February 15, 2021. We are offering this for families who do not have other options available for Wednesday afternoons. If you are able to have your child come home at 12:15, please do so, as the teachers are finding the Wednesday afternoon planning especially necessary this year.

If you are picking up your child before 2:15, we ask that you call the office so that one of our staff members can bring your child safely to their car line pickup zone.

In order to ensure proper staffing and the safety of all students we request no late enrollment.

Please complete one form per student.

Order Yearbooks Now!
It's time to order a yearbook for your St. Michael Catholic School student. Yearbooks are distributed to students at the end of the school year. Don't miss out!
Order before March 19, 2021

Yearbook ID code: 12368121
Preparing for Tax Season?
As we enter tax-filing season, you can access your "Household Paid Tuition Tax Report" under the Billing tab in TADS. This report provides a breakdown of the payments made during a specific tax year. Below are step-by-step instructions to locate the report:

Step 1: Log into your TADS user account.

Step 2: Click on the "Billing" tab.

Step 3: Click on "Household Paid Tuition Tax Report" on the left side of the screen.

Step 4: Complete the prompt to fill in the correct tax year and click "Submit."

Step 5: Once submitted, a PDF will be produced that outlines all payments made that year. This can be downloaded and printed as needed.

Please contact Darlene Casey with questions. (952) 447-2124
Lunch and Recess Volunteers Needed!
We still have many empty spots to fill; your help is appreciated!

  • Lunchroom and kitchen every day from 10:30am - 12:45pm. If you are available midday, please sign up using the Sign-Up Genius button below.
  • Recess from 11:10am - 1:10. Please use the Sign-up Genius button below.

All volunteers must be up to date on Virtus training. Please visit virtusonline.org to log in or to create an account and complete the required steps to be a volunteer.
School Office: (952) 447-2124
24/7 Absentee Line: (952) 447-2230